This partially completed monolithic Pallava rock cut temple from Mahabalipuram presents a very good visual representation of how ancient Sthapatis went about carving out material from a monolithic rock. Valayankuttai Ratha was being built during the reign of Parameshvaravarma.
If the Sthapatis had managed to complete the above Temple, it would have looked similar to the Temple below. This is the Arjuna Ratha from the same Pancha Ratha Temple complex. The Upapeetha(base) & Adisthana(plinth) remained incomplete in the previous Ratha.
This is also a good opportunity to understand the different elements that make up a Ratha type temple. It basically comprises of 6 major parts or Angas as it is called in the Shilpashastra.
Lets have a look with the above example
Bottom most part is the Upapeetha, the sub base
On top of the Upapeetha, we have the Adisthana. Usually these two elements are refered as a single element usually. The rest of the Temple structure rests on this element. Sometimes the the Adisthana is intricately carved with a variety of ornate carvings. Usually simhas & Ashvas
The Adisthana itself is further divided in a series of sub parts Kandhara, mahapatti, jagati, kumuda, kampa, kapota, pratimuka, vaajana etc. But we'll have a look at only the basic 6 elements for now.
This part is the Paada(walls). The paada also contain a number of Sthambas(pillars). The recess where carvings are made is called the Koshtha. In the case of the Arjuna Ratha there are 5 carvings
On either side is a Pratihara(Guard). In centre we have Skanda seated on elephant
Then comes the Prasthara or what in english we call as entablature. It is basically a horizontal beam which seperates the Paada(wall) from the upper structure. Prasthara too has a number of elements like Kapota, Uttira, Vyalavari etc. All these elements are intricately decorated
This element is the Haara, the Parapet. The Ratha/Vimana type Temple can have a number of storeys. The Arjuna ratha is an example of a simple single storeyed Temple. A ratha type Temple can have as high as 16 storeys. Each one of them is called jaati vimana.
This element is called the Greeva or the neck.
Finally we have the Shikhara which is the spire. On top of it we usually have a Sthupi or Kalasha(which is not visible here).
These are few elements of a Vimana type temple.
Dharmaraja ratha is the tallest among Pancharatha temples. It is a tri-tala (3 storeyed) Vimana type Temple. Each one of the storeys are functional. Despite its grand look, it is actually an unfinished temple. We can only imagine how much more grander finished one would have been
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Namaste friends🙏 Had the good fortune of having a darshana at one of the most iconic temples of Bharat last week, the ancient Pallava era Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchi.
This is a thread on the temple's history, architecture & sculptures. There is so much to share. Do read. 🕉️
Firstly, brief history of the temple. It was built during the 8th century by Pallava emperor Rajasimha. The temple also goes by the name Rajasimheshwara. This temple served as the architectural blueprint for the Chalukyas & later Rashtrakutas for their temples at Vatapi & Ellora.
There is a Pallava-Granta inscription in the temple that praises Rajasimha as a great ruler. He is praised as having mastered the vedas and shaiva siddhantha. He is compared to Indra & Kubera
Some of the titles used by Rajasimha were Ishanacharana, Sivachudamani, Kalasamudra.
A detailed THREAD on the history, architecture & sculpture of the Hoysala built Chennakeshava Temple at Somanathapura, Karnataka.
This is going to be a long one & it took me a while to piece all the information together. Do continue reading till the end. Lets's start 🕉️ (1)
The Keshava temple was constructed by Somanatha Dandanayaka on receiving funds from reigning King Narasimha III. This temple was consecrated in 1238 CE & is considered the last major temple building activity undertaken by the Hoysalas. (2)
In front of the entrance of the temple is a 10mt high Dipasthambha. The Temple is enclosed in a prakara wall & is entered through a mantapa on the east. To the left of this mantapa is a 3mt high slab with inscription in both Kannada & Sanskrit dating to the reign of Narasimha (3)
A Thread on the history, architecture, paintings and sculpture at The Veerabhadra swamy temple in Lepakshi, Andhra. The temple represents the awe inspiring architectural brilliance of the Vijayanagara Empire. (1)
Hanumalinga shrine is located at the southwest corner of the pradaksina path that surrounds the garbhagrha & antarala (vestibule) of the Veerabhadra shrine. The entrance to this shrine is situated in the southwest corner of the pradaksina wall. (57)
Facing the east, the shrine consists solely of the garbhagriha, which houses a linga placed on a vedi (pedestal). Above the roof is a four faced Nagara Shikhara. (58)
Da Vinci was undoubtedly a great innovator. But 500 years before him was Paramara Bhoja. He authored the Samarangana Sutradhara, a multi disciplinary text, where he describes building advanced warfare machines including mechanized soliders! This is 500 years before Da Vinci! (1)
Bhoja's legendary work, the Samarangana Sutradhara has no parallel for its time. In this particular chapter called Yantra vidhanam, he describes the method of building advanced mechanical devices like Golakabhramana, Jalayantra & many others. (2)
Bhoja talks about a number of advanced mechanical devices which he calls as "Yantras"
He defines a Yantra as " The device by which the mahabhutas like earth, water, fire, air & ether are controlled. When the free & natural activities of these mahabhutas...cont...(3)
THREAD. Chief reasons for the decline of Buddhism in India listed out by historian scholar PV Kane.
1) People realised the dangers of buddhist teachings of constantly being preached on how the world is a place of suffering & giving up on all desires etc
(1)
2) Hindu concept of 4 Ashrama system gave men a real purpose in life. Inculcated discipline in them, unlike Buddhist philosophy that threatened the very stability & continuance of human society that gradually led to loss of physical & mental vitality, idleness & race suicide
(2)
3) Later Buddhists strayed so much from the original teachings of buddha, in the process they simply ended up copying Hindu ideals like Bhakti. The line between Buddhism & Hinduism got so thin that the former got subsumed in the vast superior ocean that is Hindu dharma.
After turushka invader muhammad khalji destroyed nalanda & vikramashila, his hordes set eye in tibet. On the way back, his men were ambushed by Vallabhadeva's army. Vallabhadeva was the then ruler of Assam. In the battle many turushkas were killed. An inscription records this.
For the next century and a half, turushkas kept trying to push into Assam & failed. Some were mortally wounded & their armies destroyed. Resistance to turushkas by Hindu assamese is a great inspirational story.
When turushka malik yuzbak decided to invade Assam in 1257 CE, the then Hindu king set up a well planned trap which led to malik being captured & executed. His army was destroyed too. The Hindu king who led this operation is identified as Kamateshvara Sandhya.